Many enterprises believe that their transformation is customer-centric, but Omdia research has found that customer-centric, customer-obsessed, customer-focused are obscure terms that, unless defined clearly, can derail the success of transformation agendas.

Hansa Iyengar, Principal Analyst, Omdia

September 28, 2021

2 Min Read
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Customers in the digital age depend heavily on how their favorite brands connect with their demographic regarding buying decisions. Whether it is a fashion brand or an electronic device, having a sense that the brand recognizes their aspirations and respects them is an essential element of customer experience to the digital customer. In an era where product differentiations do not last long, delivering exceptional, personalized, and pleasing interactions at every step has become the leading competitive differentiator. As a result, every employee now works in a customer service role.

In the latest episode of the Omdia Digital Leaders Podcast, Terry and I ask some pertinent questions on defining customer focus and what it means to be customer-obsessed. We ask whether this (and other terms used to describe being aware and supportive of customer needs such as customer-centric, customer-first, customer- driven, et al) mean the same thing; or are they completely different concepts. More often than not, businesses put together a set of solutions that act as an efficient interface to improve a customer's experience when she interacts with the business across various touchpoints. That is the end of their 'customer-led transformation,' which may be acceptable, but does the customer journey end there? Is there more?

We are joined in our quest to get to the bottom of the whole customer conversation by Leah Yomtovian Roush, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and M&A Integration at Oracle. During a fantastic 30-minutes, Leah accurately and succinctly describes what it means when Oracle decided to be "ruthlessly focused on customer success" and how to enable a similar focus across any enterprise. Explore the significant challenge that hinders many modernization programs from achieving their stated goals.

Every customer touchpoint is an opportunity to make or break customer perception about your brand. A good customer experience strategy should not focus on just leveraging technology to complete a set of actions efficiently and smoothly. It still needs to incorporate how customers feel at each interaction. A customer experience strategy lays out the actionable plans needed to deliver a positive, valuable, differentiated customer experience (CX)—no matter the customer touchpoint.

Tune in to the Omdia Digital Leaders Podcast Ep 5 – How to make customer experience the guiding star for your business. Find out how Oracle ensures that customer obsession is not just a term but an ethos that permeates throughout the organization, from Larry and Safra at the top echelons down to every last employee, and how to nurture a similar mindset and culture in your organization.

About the Author(s)

Hansa Iyengar

Principal Analyst, Omdia

As a part of Omdia’s Enterprise IT practice, Hansa Iyengar covers systems integration and digital services around emerging technologies such as AI/ML, data analytics, IoT, application modernization, and digital transformation. She advises enterprises on transformation approaches and best practices and vendors on go-to-market strategies. Hansa has been a part of Omdia (formerly Ovum) since 2008. Her areas of expertise include market and competitive intelligence around application and systems integration services, outsourcing trends, service provider strategies, global and offshore service delivery and engagement models, and vendor management and governance.

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